M4.5 earthquake 67 km SE of Tabas, Iran
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 67 km SE of Tabas, Iran on Thu, Dec 20, 1979, 4:03 AM GMT+3:30 (00:33 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.9 27 km ESE of Tabas, Iran. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.5 (mb), light
- Local time
- UTC
- 1979-12-20 00:33:48 UTC
- Depth
- 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 33.208° N, 57.479° E
- Region
- Iran
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Depth from
- OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
- Stations used
- 15
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayIran earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00014kv. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:22 AM UTC.